Counselling and psychotherapy are interchangeable terms that cover a range of talking therapies. Counselling is a collaborative and confidential relationship in which counsellors work with people over a short or long term to help them bring about positive change and enhance their wellbeing.During counselling sessions, the client is encouraged to express their feelings and emotions. Both present and past are explored to help understand better what is informing the client’s present experience, often resolving past issues and thus bringing forward a more balanced and fulfilling life experience. By discussing your concerns, the counsellor can help you gain a better understanding of your feelings and thought processes, as well as identifying ways of finding your own solutions to problems.

What Conditions Can it Help?

Therapy is usually sought out because individuals are experiencing difficulties and distress in one or more aspects of their lives. These include, but are not limited to: bereavement, divorce, redundancy, health issues, bullying and so on (you can find a list of common conditions on our homepage). However, you do not have to be in crisis or on the verge of one, before choosing to have therapy. You may be experiencing underlying feelings of dissatisfaction with life in general, or be seeking balance in your life and spirituality. All of these issues and more can be addressed during therapy.

What Benefits can be Expected?

Sometimes it is just easier to talk about personal, family, or relationship issues with a person who is independent of friends and family. Exploring your thoughts with a professional, non-judgemental person can make you feel less alone and more able to sort out your thoughts in a positive and productive way. The benefits of counselling include a greater degree of self-awareness and understanding of yourself and others. This improves self-esteem and becomes reflective in your personal relationships. Life feels more enjoyable and fun. You feel better about yourself and who you are. You gain direction, set positive goals and gain the confidence to be able to achieve those goals.